THIS INVENTION relates to a jointing device adaptable for joining elongate members for a range of roof pitches of a building structure.
Buildings generally have a number of elongate structural members that are joined together. For example, roof trusses are joined together at their apexes for pitched roofs, and to respective uprights. The buildings may have a flat roof, a roof with 15xc2x0 roof pitch, 30xc2x0 roof pitch, or any other angled roof pitch design.
It is known to join elongate structural members with plate-shaped jointing devices fixed one side of the structural members. These jointing devices must be cut to specific shapes for the roof pitches of the building structures. The joints so formed are structurally weak and prone to failures as they are only fixed to one side of the structural members. The ends of the elongate members at the joints are exposed and must be shaped by cutting or otherwise in order to have an acceptable appearance.
Where the elongate members are C-shaped steel sections, the plate-shaped jointing devices are invariably fixed to the bight portions of the sections. The open side of the C-sections can be deformed easily.
These prior art devices require the elongate members for joining to be physically held together while fixing a jointing device thereto. At least one additional worker or a expensive hold-down tool must be employed for holding the elongate members together.
The applicant is aware of a portable framed building system proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,005 in the name of Tacoma. This building system uses jointing devices in the form of hip receivers (18) as knee jointing devices for joining an upright to a roof truss, and ridge receivers (12) as apex jointing devices for joining adjacent roof trusses. The receivers (12 and 18) proposed in this patent is made from a casting processes and are made for joining structure members of a specific roof pitch. The casting process requires a moulds specifically for the hip receivers (18), and moulds specifically for the ridge receivers (12). For joining an upright to a roof truss member the receivers (18) have a distinctive sleeve for a roof truss member and a distinctive sleeve for an upright. The sleeves are defined by internal wall members. Similarly formed sleeves are also present in the ridge receivers (12). Different moulds must be used for manufacturing receivers for different roof pitch. Accordingly, apart from a complex design, being cast, these prior art devices are costly to manufacture in terms of costs of machinery needed to produce them, material costs and time.
The applicant previously proposed a jointing device in Australian patent application numbered 47531/99. This jointing device is formed by bending about predefined fold lines of a precut sheet meta blank. The processes for manufacturing this jointing device involve a cutting process for cutting blanks of a predetermined shape from a sheet of metal such as steel, and a process for defining fold lines for bending to form a jointing device specifically for either a knee joint for a roof truss and an upright, or an apex joint for adjacent roof trusses. In either case, the device is for a specific roof pitch. The manufacturing processes are considerably simplified and more efficient when compared to the casting process.
The prior art jointing devices therefore are specifically for a knee joint or an apex joint of a particular roof pitch Accordingly, traders these devices need to stock sets of knee jointing devices and apex jointing devices for various standard roof pitches. These jointing devices being fixed for a specific standard roof pitch can not be adapted for a non standard roof pitch.
An object of the present invention is to alleviate or to reduce to a certain level one or more of the prior art disadvantages.
In one aspect therefore the present invention relates to a jointing device for joining elongate members in a building structure. The device includes a first body section, a second body section, and a connection portion interconnecting the first and second body sections, each said body section having at least one flange portion for fixing to one elongate member. The body sections and the connection portion are formed from a single blank of a sheet material with foldlines arranged for bending thereabout to form the at least one flange portion of each of said body sections and a further foldline forming the connection portion. The connection portion is arranged so that the first and second body sections are positionable relative to each other for selectively adjusting angle therebetween to correspond to a roof pitch of the building structure, the roof pitch being within a range of roof pitches. Thereby, the device can be selectively adjusted for joining adjacent elongate members of any building structure having a roof pitch within said range of roof pitches.
The jointing device may be formed for use as a knee joint or an apex joint.
In another aspect therefore the present invention relates to a jointing device for joining elongate members in a building structure. The device comprises a first body section, a second body section, and a connection portion interconnecting the first and second body sections, each said body section having at least one flange portion for fixing to one elongate member. The connection portion is arranged so that the first and second body sections are positionable relative to each other for selectively transforming said device between an apex joint configuration and a knee joint configuration. Thereby, the device can be selectively transformed for joining elongate members in an apex location or a knee location of the building structure.
In preference, each said body section has two spaced flange portions extending from a web portion. The spaced flange portions and the web portions are arranged to form a cavity therebetween, and a first opening adjacent to the free end of one of the web portions and a second opening adjacent to the free end of the other of the web portions, said first and second openings being in communication with said cavity and adapted for said elongate members to extend into the cavity for fixing therein.
The connection portion may be arranged to interconnect the web portions or be formed integrally with the web portions. Typically, the connection portion is a fold line formed between the web portions, and the first and second sections are positionably adjustable about the fold line.
At least one of the web portions has an opening arranged so that the elongate member extending into one of said first and second openings can pass therethrough. The elongate member in this case can be an upright or a roof truss member of the building structure.
The web portion(s) is advantageously formed with a cut-out part(s) that can be selectively removed for revealing said opening(s).
In preference, said range of roof pitches is from 0xc2x0 to 70xc2x0. The 0xc2x0 roof pitch is for a flat roof structure.
In use, a first elongate member is positioned in said cavity through the first opening in said first section, and a second elongate member is positioned in said cavity through the second opening in said second section, and the first and second elongate members in said cavity can be joined by fixing them to the jointing device.
The device can be formed from a blank with foldlines for bending therealong to form said flange portions about said web portions. The blank can be configured with the connection potion being in the form of a foldline interconnecting said web portions.
In preference, the flange portion or at least one of flange portions of each said body section includes one or more skirt elements formed remotely from said web portion. Where each said body section has spaced flange portions, the one or more skirt elements extending from one flange portion towards the opposite flange portion.
The device may be formed with means for facilitating fixing to the elongate members. Suitably said facilitating means are guide holes for fixing means such as nails, bolts, nuts, screws, staples or the like.
It is preferred that for each body section or one of the skirt elements extends to the first or second opening, thereby forming a support edge for the elongate member extending therethrough.
Said elongate members may be solid, hollow or a combination thereof. They may be in the form of a C or U sections, or T or I sections, or a combination thereof. Each said elongate member may have two of said sections positioned back to back.
Conveniently each said web portions has the opening so that when used as a knee join an elongate member can enter the cavity through the first or second opening and extend through the opening remote from said first or second opening so that the elongate member can form an eave support structure.
One or both said flange portions may have one or more observation holes for checking the elongate members in the cavity thereof.
In a further aspect therefore the present invention resides in a building structure comprising at least one pair of spaced upright elongate members and one or more roof truss elongate members spanning the or each pair of the elongate members. Each of the upright elongate member is joined to the or each said roof truss elongate members by the device as hereinbefore described.
It is preferred that where the building structure includes two or more roof truss elongate members, adjacent roof truss elongate members are joined by the device as hereinbefore described.
The building structure may be a portal frame structure for a carport, garage, shed, dwelling or the like buildings.